The other day, I spent time in two different places—a restaurant and a doctor’s office—doing something I hate doing. Waiting. As I waited, I noticed something interesting. In both waiting areas, they gave us something to do while we waited. The restaurants gave us coloring menus (okay, they’re for the kids, but who’s judging?), and the doctor’s office gave us magazines.
Why do they do this? Because they know being patient is much easier when we have something to do while we wait. God knows that, too. He has made each of us wonderful promises, and He doesn’t want us to waste our wait for them.
The Apostle Paul shows us how to make the most of our wait in Acts 24:22-27. After being falsely accused of starting riots, he had to present his case in front of a Roman judge named Felix. Felix heard his case but didn’t know how to decide it, so he put Paul in prison to wait.
During this time, Felix grew curious about Christianity, so he visited Paul often to ask questions. Paul preached to him while Felix continued to make him wait for a verdict. This cat-and-mouse game went on for two years. Two years!
God had called Paul to preach to all of Rome, but he was stuck in prison! So what did he do? He did what he could do. He couldn’t preach to all of Rome from prison, but he could preach to one Roman—Felix—and he did.
Paul’s actions prove our situations don’t limit us as much as we often assume. If we’ll approach our waiting season with intentionality, we’ll arrive at our promise ready to receive it. In the wait, we must:
Watch
Act
Improve, and
Trust
Psalm 130:6 says this about watching: “I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” In the waiting, Paul watched for opportunities to pursue his purpose.
In the wait, we must also act. Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) says, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Look how many actions Isaiah used in this passage about waiting. It’s proof—God uses people committed to action, just like Paul.
Third, in the wait, we should improve. In his waiting season, Paul embraced the opportunity to improve the skill he would one day use to bring many to Christ.
Finally, in the wait, we must trust. In Isaiah 40:31, the word used for “wait” can also translate “trust.” Paul proved he trusted God by how he waited. In the same way, I encourage you: make the most of your wait by remanding watchful, taking action, improving, and trusting.
How we handle the wait today will determine how we receive the promise tomorrow. So let’s not waste the wait!
